District Daily: Zimmerman tests hammy, Predicting a Nationals-Angels World Series
By Pablo Roa
Jul 22, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder
Ryan Zimmerman(11) reacts after getting injured running out a single in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Good morning DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! In case you missed it, the Nationals returned from their off day with a win over the Marlins Thursday night. With the win, the Nationals maintained their 1 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers for the best record in the National League.
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While there are still some regular season games to be played, things are starting to get more and more exciting for the Nationals as October baseball gets closer and closer. Interested in watching the Nationals’ October campaign in person? Playoff tickets go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. ET here.
The Nationals will be back in action tonight in Miami, where Doug Fister will look to earn his 15th win of the season. Check back here this afternoon for a preview of tonight’s game!
As you start off your #FisterFriday, checkout some great Nationals articles from around the web!
Improving Zimmerman tests hammy, unsure of return
VIERA, Fla. — Ryan Zimmerman said he’s getting closer to being 100 percent healthy, but there’s still no timetable on when the injured veteran third baseman will return to Washington’s lineup.
Zimmerman, who has been on the disabled list since July 23 after suffering a Grade 3 right hamstring strain, continued his rehab Thursday at the Nationals’ Spring Training facility in Viera. He was the designated hitter in a simulated instructional league game, going 1-for-7. Zimmerman’s only hit was a ground-ball single to left field in his last at-bat of the day. He jogged to second on a passed ball, then tagged and sprinted to third on a flyout to deep center. Read full article here.
Predicting Nationals-Angels World Series
(Phil Rogers, Sports On Earth)
When the Rockies rolled to the World Series behind Clint Hurdle in 2007, the conventional wisdom was that no one had seen them coming. But that was wrong.
Even though the Rockies had been only two games above .500 with 30 games to play, in fourth place in the NL West as late as Sept. 16 and in third place — five games back — with only seven games left in the season, my PPR (Playoff Power Rankings) system clearly identified their potential.
That was the season I developed a formula using statistical analysis to compare the playoff teams — the kind of analysis that can be done on a legal pad, not with proprietary software — and entering the Game 163 between the Padres and Rockies it ranked the nine teams still alive as follows: 1) Red Sox, 2) Rockies, 3) Indians, 4) Cubs, 5) Yankees, 6) Phillies, 7) Padres, 8) Angels and 9) Diamondbacks. Read full article here.
Rizzo’s guidance has Nats soaring high into October
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Mike Rizzo’s work with the Washington Nationals is that he has done two distinctly different, equally difficult jobs better than most could have done one of them.
First, he constructed a great farm system. He inherited one of the worst in the game when he joined the Nationals in 2006 and transformed it quickly and efficiently. He’s an old-school baseball guy who believes success is built on the twin foundations of scouting and development. Read full article here.